Another Way Part 3
by Salt-the-Catgirl
Summary: Set just a year after Another Way Part 2, with the new drink on the market, it seems all kinds of creatures of the night have begun to show themselves. After Natsuno pulls Aoi to safety from some real werewolves, we finally get to hear about Tohru's attacks on Natsuno from his own point of view. Rated T for language and Violence
1. 1 - The Night I Attacked Him

Note from Author: Yep, after several stories with my own OC Yaoi couple, I've been drawn back to the couple who started me down this path again. I'm not counting this one as a TruBlood crossover, but I will be using some of the terminology from the series, and the drink itself will still have a minor role. Set just a year after Another Way Part 2, with the new drink on the market, it seems all kinds of creatures of the night have begun to show themselves. After Natsuno pulls Aoi to safety from some real werewolves, we finally get to hear about Tohru's attacks on Natsuno from his own point of view.

Another Way can be found here:  s/9724212/1/Another-Way

Another Way Part 2 can be found here:  s/9773784/1/Another-Way-Part-2

_**Chapter 1: The Night I Attacked Him**_

Toya sat quietly in the corner of the bedroom, looking across at the sleeping blonde Shiki lying in the bed. The child was six years old now, it had been a year since she first met the uncle she drew her namesake from, but this was the first time she'd ever been left alone with him. She knew what he was, what he was capable of doing. Even though she was family, there was a part of her that felt uneasy being alone in the building with him. However, as she looked at the eternal eighteen year old, sleeping with a death grip on his favorite stuffed bear in the absence of his Jinrou protector, she found herself wondering how he could ever be as dangerous as everyone said the rest of his kind were. She had run to her uncles because she didn't know where else to go. Her mother was in trouble, and Natsuno was the only person she knew that might be strong enough to help her.

Natsuno was carrying Aoi on his back as they ran from a pack of howling dogs. "Aoi, how in the hell did you end up in trouble with a pack of wolves?" the Jinrou asked.

"It's a long story, and I'll explain later, how'd you know where to find me?" Aoi returned.

"Toya-Chan came to find me. She said you were in trouble and needed my help," Natsuno answered, "That there were some 'bad men' after you," Natsuno looked back over his shoulder at the gaining pack, "She wasn't kidding."

"Toya-Chan?" Aoi blinked worriedly, "Where is she now?"

"I left her at home with Tohru," Natsuno assured her, "He'll be awake soon, so she'll be fine."

"You did what!? Natsuno, I can't believe you left her alone with him!" Aoi exclaimed.

"Why?" Natsuno glanced back over his shoulder at the woman piggyback ridding on his back.

Aoi closed her eyes and shook her head, she knew this was her older brother they were talking about, but even eleven years after the horrors of Sotoba, and one year after the blood substitute drink being released on the market, she still had her reservations about Vampires as a whole. "Tohru has great control over things when he's with you," she sighed, hating that she could even think this way, "That's why I never had a problem with bringing Toya-Chan to visit the two of you while supervised, but I'm not sure I'm ready to leave her alone with him. Didn't you say he's always hungry when he wakes up? You won't be there for him to feed."

"Is THAT what you're worried about!?" Natsuno growled, "Aoi, I assure you, Toya-Chan is in no safer hands than Tohru's. If we're not back by the time he wakes up, we have a refrigerator in the back with reserve supplies just for him."

"That may be, but can you be certain? How long has it been since he's been alone with a human?" Aoi asked.

Natsuno slid to a screeching halt in a dead-end alleyway and pushed Aoi down into a corner. "I'm telling you, she's fine," he growled, "Now, stay here it looks like I'm going to be forced to fight some of these guys after all."

Aoi watched, horrified as three wolves surrounded Natsuno, each growling and snarling at the day walker that had stolen their prey. Thinking they could overpower the Jinrou, they pounced upon him all at once. Natsuno effortlessly threw one of them off with a backhanded attack, flinging the wolf into a wall. The blow winded the wolf, knocking him unconscious, forcing him to revert back to a human state. Natsuno let out a yelp of pain as one of the remaining two managed to bite down on his neck. He struggled to remove the wolf, with one hand, as he used his other arm to hold the third wolf off of him, catching the third wolf just under the throat, making it difficult for that wolf's fangs to do him any good.

"I didn't know the girl was a fang banger," the third wolf growled, "No, you're not exactly a fang, but you smell like one."

Aoi found a metal rod lying on the ground next to the dumpster Natsuno had hidden her behind. She picked it up and held it tight. "Get off of him!" she shouted, hitting the third wolf, swinging the pole as if she were using a golf club. The third wolf yelped as it was knocked backwards. Aoi had nowhere near the strength of the Jinrou, but the blow was enough to inflict pain and temporarily stun the assailant. This gave Natsuno both hands to deal with the wolf on his neck. The flesh tore a little as he pulled the wolf away and threw him off. "Oh my god, Natsuno, are you alright?" Aoi asked, seeing the blood.

Natsuno forced himself to his feet. "I'm fine, Aoi, now get back." Aoi watched in amazement as Natsuno's neck healed. She staggered backwards and watched as Natsuno and the wolves began fighting once more. It took some time to over come both of them, but thanks to Aoi's intervention, at least one of them had become hindered. Apparently these wolves didn't heal as quickly at Natsuno could. This gave him the upper hand. As the final wolf fell unconscious, Natsuno returned to his sister-in-law and pulled her onto his back once more. "Now, as I was saying, Toya's perfectly safe. Aoi, I promise you, Tohru-Chan's still the same brother you knew and loved. The mere fact that she's your daughter, alone is enough to ensure her safety."

Aoi blinked quietly at this. She felt ashamed that she felt the way she did. But as Natsuno spoke these words, she couldn't help noticing he seemed hurt that she had even suggested such a thing. She remembered him being a person who always hid his emotions so well, easy to annoy, but otherwise always putting up a strong defense. She found it odd that if he were bothered by it that he would even allow her to pick up on a hint of it.

"Hold on tight, we're taking the roofs," he informed her.

"Wait, we're what?" Aoi exclaimed as Natsuno jumped into the air. She closed her eyes and gave a quick shriek as she felt them take to the air, clinging on much tighter.

"Do you mind?" Natsuno asked in an annoyed growl as he landed on the rooftop, "My ears are extra sensitive, you know!"

"Sorry," she blushed.

The sun had already set by the time they arrived at the restaurant. Tohru should have been awake for some time by now. Natsuno remained firm in his belief that everything was alright, but Aoi still had a quiet, niggling doubt in the back of her head that she couldn't shake. She didn't voice it any further, as she didn't want to upset Natsuno any more than he already was. He jumped down off the roof, into the back yard and opened the back door, setting Aoi down on her feet. As the two of them entered the hallway, they heard Toya give a shriek from Tohru's bedroom. They quietly exchanged looks, both almost seeming to dare the other to say a single word. They bolted for the room and Natsuno threw open the door, heaving a sigh of relief at the scene in front of them. He leaned against the door frame moving so that Aoi could see. Tohru and Toya were both settled in the floor, game controllers in hand, and the six-year-old was loosing.

Natsuno smirked, throwing Aoi a look that seemed to say, "_Told you so!_"

"Tohru-Ojisan, how do you keep winning!?" the child complained.

"Don't take it personally, Toya-Chan, I can't beat him at that game, either," Natsuno chortled.

Tohru and Toya paused the game and looked up. "When did you two get back?" Tohru asked, standing up.

Toya's face lit up as she jumped off the floor and ran to Natsuno. "Natsuno-Ojisan!" She threw her arms around him.

"Tsk, still robbing cradles," Tohru teased.

Natsuno threw Tohru one of his, 'Shut up' looks, letting the blonde Shiki know he was in no joking mood at the moment. "Mama!" Toya exclaimed, throwing her arms around Aoi.

Aoi hugged Toya and scooped the child up in her arms. "Toya-Chan, are you alright, darling? You didn't get hurt on your way here, did you?"

Toya shook her head, "I'm fine."

Tohru joined them in the doorway, hugging his sister. "Are you, alright, Sis?" he asked, "I was worried when Toya told me what was going on, but I knew Natsuno would get you back here safely."

Aoi nodded, "Yes, I'm alright. A little shaken, but no worse for ware. Thank you, both."

"Yeah, whatever," Natsuno grumbled. "Look, we have a spare room down the hall. It's supposed to be mine, but I hardly ever use it, and Tohru can't sleep in there because of the windows. You two are welcome to stay the night. If there are any more of these guys, they'll probably be keeping an eye on your place. We'll keep an eye on things. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to clean up. Tohru, I think it might be best to keep the restaurant closed for the night."

"Alright, I'll call Muroi-San and let him know we won't need them tonight," Tohru nodded. He watched quietly as Natsuno went down the hall. "Is he alright?" he asked.

"I think I offended him somehow," Aoi admitted.

"Huh?" Tohru looked at her curiously.

"I owe you an apology, Tohru-Niisan," she sighed. "I told him I was worried about leaving Toya-Chan alone with you. He became real defensive on your behalf. As your sister, I'm ashamed I even doubted you."

"It's more to it than that," Tohru sighed, leaning against the wall. "Toya-Chan, go put the game on first player and get some practice in, maybe you'll be able to beat me next time," he suggested.

"OK!" Toya replied excitedly, running back into the bedroom.

Tohru shut the door, so Toya couldn't hear them. He looked at his sister. "You didn't just offend him, Aoi, you really hurt him. He knows Toya's safer with me than he ever was."

Aoi shook her head. "I don't understand."

"No, I suppose you don't," Tohru sighed, "We never told you. He didn't tell you, because he didn't want you to think any less of me. I didn't tell you because I didn't think it needed to be said."

"Tohru?" Aoi looked at her brother worriedly and braced herself for what was coming.

"There isn't a day that goes by we don't regret our actions in Sotoba. We use those regrets to try and make our way through everything one night at a time, without repeating those actions. Natsuno was the one who countered Chizuru's hypnotic venom, allowing Ozaki-Sensei to deal with the Shiki however he saw fit. Natsuno wanted to rid Sotoba of every single Okiagari, including himself, in a way, he's responsible for the slaughter that took place, but he never wanted it to reach the scale that it did. Yes, I fed from people, I killed people to keep myself alive. It wasn't something I wanted to do, but it was something I was told I had no other choice but to do. When we left Sotoba, and learned I could feed from Natsuno, we made a pact. As much as either of us hates to dwell on the thought, if I so much as bite anyone but Natsuno ever again, he WILL drag me out in the sunlight and run a stake through me. He may find a way to follow me to the final grave after that, but that was our agreement, and I have no doubt in my mind that he will carry it out."

"Oh my god, Tohru," Aoi gasped, "I had no idea."

Tohru sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "That's not all that's bothering him, though. You doubted me with the safety of your own daughter, when he knows that you and Tamotsu are still human because of what he is… Because of what I did to him. Even if neither of us ever made that agreement, if I attacked either of you, or your children, I'd be corrupting everything that stood for!"

"Tohru?" Aoi asked, "You mean you're…?"

Tohru gave a sad, quiet nod. "Yes, I'M the one who bit him."

Aoi gasped and covered her mouth. "You? But why, how? I never would have thought you could or would… Not Natsuno!"

"I never wanted to, Aoi!" Tohru insisted, "My hand was forced." He hung his head and rubbed his right elbow. He closed his eyes and sighed. "No matter what I do, I know I can never make it up to him. Megumi forced him to watch the first time she attacked me. So he naturally began to fight the Shiki, they saw him as a threat. Tatsumi decided to get rid of him, and chose me for the job. I tried to convince him not to send me. I pleaded with him, literally got down on my hands and knees with tear soaked eyes and begged him not to send me to do it. But Tatsumi was one cold sadistic bastard; he simply laughed in my face and told me if I didn't do it, then you and Tamotsu would be taken instead."

"So you turned him… To protect us?" Aoi asked quietly. She was stunned. She couldn't believe he would do such a thing even to protect her and Tamotsu, but now she at least thought she understood why Natsuno seemed so hurt.

"I did it for you and Tamotsu, but I also did it for him, he just never asked my side of things beyond protecting you, and beyond keeping him away from Shimizu, I've simply left it unsaid," Tohru sighed.

"Huh?" Aoi blinked curiously at her brother and shook her head, "Ok, I'm sorry, you've lost me again?"

Tohru sighed, shook his head, and sank to a sitting position in the floor, resting a hand upon his forehead. "Shizuka was sent to his house before me. She tried to gain entry, but Natsuno's father was reluctant, it was his mother that finally caved in and allowed her in. Shizuka asked permission for her 'big brother' to come later, while she waited for Natsuno in his room. They agreed, which allowed me to enter, but he didn't come home that night. He was out until dawn with Akira and Kaori. We were forced to leave before the sun came up. When I returned the next night, he had plastered his wall with holy relics, there was no way I could enter. But I knew what his parents were like, his father didn't approve of religion, and threw them out while he was still asleep. I returned the next night and knocked on his window. There was a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't shake. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Natsuno, and I hated that I was being forced to choose between him and the two of you. I had hoped maybe I could talk him into giving up his fight against the Shiki, to turn a blind eye and either leave or pretend he was gone, but when I felt his warm hand grab my wrist, and saw the look in his eyes as he realized I was the monster outside his window… I couldn't stand seeing him look at me like that. He had always come to me when he needed to feel safe. I turned and I fled, hoping he wouldn't give chase, knowing he was safer inside than if he followed me. Of course he followed, I should have known he would."

Tohru pushed the bangs out of his face, and moved his hand, only to let them fall again as he took a deep, unnecessary breath. "He followed me to the sacred fountain and I hid in the trees, lamenting the situation before me, wishing there was some other way, hoping he couldn't find me. Then **_she_** showed up. Megumi berated me for being cowardly, suggesting the possibility that Natsuno would rise up and become one of us. I realized it was possible, but there was still the chance it wouldn't happen, and even so, I **knew** he'd hate being a Shiki, and would never forgive me for turning him into one. Since I was refusing, she decided she was going to do it. The next thing I knew, Natsuno was cornered, the fountain and the trees where I was hiding behind him, Tatsumi on his right, and Shimizu on his left, he had no where to go, no way to defend himself, no one to protect him."

Tohru shook his head and forced back a sob. "That first bite, was all I could do to keep him safe. Megumi would have hypnotized him into doing God knows what for her, and Tatsumi would have toyed with him before killing him. My hands were forced, I couldn't let either of them have him. But at the same time, I knew how he would feel. He would be hurt and feel betrayed, perhaps even horrified. I knew I wouldn't be able to stand hearing him scream as my fangs sank into his neck, not my Natsuno, I'd never be able to forgive myself if I had to hear that. So I leapt out of the trees from behind, tears in my eyes. I grabbed him around the chest and gently put a hand over his mouth to stifle him. I used a special bite, one that I use on him still, a bite that induces pleasure rather than pain. With my hand over his mouth, Megumi and Tatsumi never knew the difference."

Tohru sighed as he continued, "I drank just enough to render him unconscious, but even then, I couldn't deny his was the best blood I'd ever tasted. At least for the time being, I knew all three of you would be safe. Tatsumi ordered me to hypnotize him so that he wouldn't tell anyone and then take him home. I couldn't bring myself to hypnotize him. I had already broken so much of his trust, broken his heart, I couldn't break his mind as well. I carried him home and put him to bed. Before I left, I gave him a kiss on the forehead and whispered in his ear that I was sorry and that I hoped he would forgive me. I waited and stayed away the next night, letting him recover, hoping I would have a chance to explain things, to try again to talk him into forgetting his fight with the Shiki and disappear. If he left or simply stopped showing himself, there was a chance I could have tricked Tatsumi into believing I had carried out the task without actually having to do so. But, that night that I waited, I didn't feed at all, which was a mistake on my part. When I returned, I started to knock on his window, but hesitated. I knew he would never forgive me, and I didn't think he would be very welcoming to see me again. It tore at me to know what I was being asked to do. As I started to leave, he jumped out of the bushes in front of his window, he'd been waiting for me."

By now, Aoi was sitting in the floor across from her brother, as she breathlessly listened to him recount Natsuno's final nights as a human, as they had played out in his own eyes. "He held up a cross and asked if I really was frightened of it. I realized he sounded more curious about it than anything, and called out to him. He hurled the cross in my direction, scolding me like he always did for using his name, then turned and ran. I gave chase, knowing I couldn't let anyone else catch him. I explained things, the way they had been explained to me. The next thing I knew, he was staring me down, with a stake and hammer in his hands. I froze. I was too frightened to move any closer, this was Natsuno, after all, it was very possible he was capable of driving it through my heart without a second thought if he saw me as a threat. I was also too scared to turn and leave. I didn't want to think he would attack me from behind, but I had done it to him, so it wasn't a possibility I could rule out. His name was the only word I could bring myself to utter. It broke him, Aoi, I could see it in his eyes. He didn't know how to handle it. I was acting like the Tohru he knew and trusted, not the monster he'd come to believe I should have been, and I'm certain he heard the fear and sadness in my voice as I called out to him. I wanted so bad to throw my arms around him and tell him everything would be alright, but I couldn't move. He tossed the stake aside and asked me to run with him, to find a better way then. But I was certain that if I left with him, Tatsumi would catch on and either attack you and Tamotsu or give chase after us, or perhaps both. I couldn't leave with him. What I didn't realize was that he couldn't leave without me. He freely offered his blood that night, begging me to leave with him, but I couldn't do it. I turned away and hoped he wouldn't get too close. I could smell the blood running through his veins, and I'd not fed within the last twenty four hours. I lost myself to the hunger. Before I knew what I was doing, I had lunged at him and thrown him to the ground, draining him until he was unconscious once more. Again, I carried him back to his house and put him to bed, again I kissed his forehead and told him how sorry I was."

"His final night alive, I was certain he'd never forgive me, but I went back to check on him. He wasn't even able to move out of the bed. He asked his father to leave the window open, as if he knew I was coming. He knew I was outside, and called to me as soon as he was alone. I told him, while I knew he could hear me, just how sorry I was. He was miserable and had completely given up. I couldn't stand watching him suffer anymore. That final bite was a mercy killing. When we heard he'd been picked up by a funeral home from the city, and would have been cremated, I was devastated. It was the first time Shimizu and I ever agreed on anything involving him and Masao. Masao had taken pleasure in hearing that Natsuno was gone. Megumi gave him a good pummeling for it, and I hadn't had much contact with him, but I wanted to rip his throat out. Imagine my surprise when I found Natsuno standing in front of me, promising me everything would be alright, and that if I made it safely through what was coming, the offer to leave with him still stood." Tohru's eyes slowly shifted across to his sister, she was just as teary eyed as he was now.

"God, Tohru, I'm so sorry," she said quietly, "For both of you! I never knew."

Tohru slowly stood up and shook his head. "Natsuno didn't want you to know, or he would have said something the first night you walked through the door. Aoi, he knew what I did was for you and Tamotsu, he barely knew I was doing it for him too. He didn't want to drive you away." Tohru sighed and smiled at her. "Like he said, Sis, you and Toya-Chan are welcome to stay the night." He turned to head down the hall to the bathroom, having heard Natsuno finally turn the water on. The Jinrou had been listening to the conversation the whole time.

"Tohru, let me ask you something?" Aoi said as she leapt to her feet. Tohru turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "You regretted biting him as a human. But you're still feeding from him now, aren't you? What makes the difference between now and then?"

Tohru smiled, it only seemed natural that she wouldn't understand. He didn't seem to take any offense to the question. "I regretted it then, because he was human, and regardless of what we had been told, I knew it wasn't right to take a human life. It was simply a choice we weren't given. Kill or starve, those were the original orders from Kanemasa. Natsuno gives his blood freely, willingly, because he knows I need it, and as long as I have him, there's no risk to anyone else. I tried once to wean myself, at least from taking so much, a year after everything happened, I tried to take less and less, but I nearly starved myself and he forbade me from ever trying such measures again. But, when an Okiagari forces the blood from a human, then they see that human as a food source and nothing more. When a human gives it willingly, without hypnotism as Natsuno tried the second time, it means friendship or love between the two. The bite I told you I use for him, its not meant to be used on humans when they're forced. It's a love bite, specifically meant for two Okiagari to share with one another." He smiled as his sister blushed at this, clearly she understood what he meant. With that, he turned and continued on his way to the bathroom. The door was locked when he tried to open it. "Natsuno?" he called.

"Not now, Tohru," Natsuno answered from within.

Tohru frowned and leaned against the door. "Natsuno, open the door, or I'm going to break it in," he threatened.

The door swung open and Tohru stumbled off balance. He closed his eyes, expecting to fall right into the tub. He blinked them open again, when he felt Natsuno's arm catch hold of him. Natsuno sighed and smiled, shaking his head as he closed the door. "You didn't tell me you were right up against it."

Tohru sighed. "Thanks." He turned and looked at the Jinrou. "Natsuno, I…"

Natsuno nodded, "I know, Tohru, I heard," he leaned against the door as he locked it, "How come you never told me the way you saw it?"

Tohru shook his head, "You never asked, and I never thought it needed to be said." He gently wrapped his arms around the Jinrou. "Natsuno, you can't blame Aoi for thinking like that."

Natsuno sighed and hugged the blonde Shiki close. Tohru was cold to the touch, having drank Natsuno's blood for so many years, his body was finally as warm as it use to be when he was alive, but tended to get colder during fasting. While the blood substitute helped keep the hunger in check, it did nothing for his body temperature. "I don't blame her, Tohru," he replied, "As Toya's mother, it's only natural she would be worried about leaving her child alone with a Vampire the first time. But as your sister, I had hoped she would have more faith in you than that. I don't blame her, I just couldn't believe she would think such a thing."

Tohru smiled at him, gently caressing a hand to his cheek. After all they had been put through, Natsuno still believed in him, knew he'd never willingly harm a soul. After all that time in Sotoba where Tohru had been the one to make Natsuno feel safe, Tohru found it ironic that it was now the other way around. The blonde leaned forward and pushed his lips to Natsuno's, gently sliding his left hand into the Jinrou's, letting their fingers link together.

Natsuno closed his hand around Tohru's and pulled the Shiki closer, wrapping his free arm around him, and returning the kiss. Tohru pulled away from the kiss and lowered his head toward Natsuno's neck. He pulled away with what almost sounded like a jealous hiss as his nose passed across the spot where the wolf had caught him. His beautiful brown eyes flashed their monstrous black and red. "Who bit you?" he asked. He shook his head forcing his eyes back to normal. "And why do you smell like wet dog?"

Natsuno chuckled and gently caught Tohru under the chin. "Relax, beautiful," he said assuringly, "There's no need to get jealous over a handful of mutts. You might want to wait until I wash off before feeding, though. No telling what kind of debris got left behind when they jumped us."

"Mutts?" Tohru asked, stepping aside, to allow Natsuno access to the tub.

"Werewolves," Natsuno grunted as he pulled back the shower curtain and began to get undressed.

"Just what the hell kind of trouble has Aoi landed herself in?" Tohru asked.

"She said it was a long story," Natsuno replied tossing his dirty clothes into the hamper and climbing into the tub, "But I intend to find out as soon as I get out of here."


	2. 2 - That's What Family Is For

_**Chapter 2: That's What Is For**_

Natsuno finished in the shower and dried off. Climbing out of the tub and wrapping a towel around himself, he approached Tohru, who had stayed quietly by the door the entire time. Tohru blushed as Natsuno approached him, there was just something about seeing the Jinrou soaking wet that made him even more attractive. Natsuno gently grabbed Tohru's arms and leaned in for a kiss. "Care to try again?" he asked with a soft chuckle, as he pulled away.

Tohru smiled and nodded, leaning in towards Natsuno's neck. The blonde Shiki closed his eyes and let the smell of Natsuno's freshly washed flesh over take him. The Jinrou gave a soft gasp as Tohru's fangs sank in, even after all these years, that was the one reflex he couldn't prevent himself from having.

Natsuno smiled and wrapped his arms around Tohru, being sure to keep his head tilted so as not to disturb the feeding Okiagari. "Tohru-Chan, I want you to understand something. I don't blame Aoi for worrying, but had she been anyone but your sister, I would have left her there for the wolves. In truth, the fact that she even said anything simply felt that she was being ungrateful for us helping her."

Tohru gave a soft "Mnhmh" to suggest he understood, as he continued to drink. He understood Aoi's reasons, and he knew Natsuno well enough to understand what had bothered him. Finally, Tohru pulled away from Natsuno's neck licking the wound clean until it healed. He licked his lips and gently kissed Natsuno's neck before pulling away. "If it had been anyone but Aoi, then I would have asked what was wrong with you when you brought her back here," he said momentarily. He smiled at Natsuno. "But thank you, for bringing my sister back safely."

Natsuno gently ruffled a hand through the blonde Shiki's hair. "Tohru-Chan, we went for ten long years not knowing what happened to either of our families, but almost certain there was no way either of us could go back to them if they were OK. I'm not going to just stand back and let you loose them again after having just found them." Tohru smiled, he knew that was the closest thing to a 'you're welcome' he was going to get out Natsuno on the matter. "Now, would you mind running to my room and fetching me some fresh clothes before the girls take it over? And don't forget to let Seishin-Sama know what's going on. Once I'm dressed, I want to sit down with your sister and find out what she's gotten herself into."

Tohru nodded. "I'll be right back," he promised, as he slipped out the door.

Sometime later, Natsuno and Aoi were sitting at the back table in the restaurant. Aoi had already carried Toya to bed in Natsuno's room and tucked her in for the night. Natsuno handed her a cup of fresh brewed coffee as he joined her at the table. "Thank you, Natsuno," she said as she took the cup from him. She took a single sip, then looked up at her brother-in-law. "Natsuno, I owe you and Tohru-Niisan both an apology, I didn't realize…"

Aoi fell quiet when she saw the look on Natsuno's face. "Aoi, we're all family here," Tohru said as he walked into the room, "Natsuno's no where near as mad as either of us thought he was, let's just let bygones be bygones." He plopped down in the seat next to Natsuno and smiled as he leaned over on the Jinrou's shoulder. Natsuno heaved a quiet sigh, he couldn't stay angry about anything with Tohru in the room. Aoi smiled looking at her brother's face. He had that same beautiful, 'I can light up any room no matter how dark it is' smile that she always remembered him having. Tohru sat the phone on the table. "I called Muroi-Sama and told him we weren't opening tonight due to a family emergency. He said it's just as well, he and Ozaki-Sensei had trouble getting Sunako out of bed tonight. Apparently Okiagari ARE capable of getting some illnesses, and considering the age she was when she was turned, she's easily susceptible to them. Which is why she had that doctor she had back in Sotoba, he was capable of healing humans, Shiki, and Jinrou alike. Ozaki-Sensei's going to have to learn it all in order to replace him. But, he did say to call and let him know if we did actually end up needing their assistance."

Natsuno nodded. "Hopefully it won't come to that, but I appreciate the offer. Now, Aoi, what exactly is going on? I wasn't expecting werewolves when I came rushing to your rescue. If I had come during a full moon, one of them alone would have been more trouble for me than all three of them were this afternoon, and unlike Tohru and myself, werewolves don't need an invitation."

Aoi sighed and hung her head. "I'm sorry about that, Natsuno. I really do appreciate the help. I didn't want anyone else to get mixed up in this mess. I told Toya-Chan to hide, I didn't expect her to run to you two. I told you before, I work at home. I manage money for several different clients; businesses, private individuals, maybe a Yakuza member or two, I don't ask, I simply act as the broker and mediator. These werewolves were some of my clients, though I have to admit it came as quite a shock to learn their true identity. Somewhere some wires got crossed, and they're out untold amounts of money. The error wasn't mine, but I was singled out as the last person to process the data, so they came looking for me to learn what went wrong. Their leader has a rather nasty temper and they didn't like it when I told them I had no idea who's error it was, nor how the oversight was even made. I mean, I was the one who called their attention to the issue, and they still blamed me. Natsuno, if you had gotten there a moment later, I don't know what they would have done." She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, trembling a little. "I hate to admit it, but I'm afraid to go home. Like Natsuno said earlier, they may be waiting for me, and I certainly can't risk taking Toya back there if they are."

Tohru moved across to his sister and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Relax, Sis, you and Toya-Chan can stay here as long as you need to. Natsuno and I will keep you safe." He ignored Natsuno's 'I didn't agree to that' look, knowing the Jinrou wouldn't turn them out during a time like this.

"Thank you again, both of you," Aoi said with a nod and a sigh of relief. She couldn't deny she felt safer knowing the two Okiagari were close by.

"No need to thank us, Aoi," Natsuno grunted, as he sat his elbows on the table, linking his fingers together and rested his lips against the edge of them, to hide a jealous smile. "That's what family is for." His eyes held their usual cold, emotionless luster that Aoi had grown to recognize from Natsuno's days as a disgruntled teen. His hands pressed against his face were hiding the only thing that would give away what he was really feeling as he watched Tohru comfort his sister. In the year since Aoi had stumbled through their front door, she and Toya had come to visit several times, Tamotsu and Kaori and even Akira and his wife had come with their own children a few times. Tohru's parents had even visited once or twice and sent gifts over the past Christmas holiday. But Natsuno's parents had yet to set foot through that door. He hoped it was simply that his mother, Azusa, was worried his father's 'sensible' mind would relapse back into a state of dementia if he saw his dead son walking around as if nothing ever happened. He had, after all, watched the boy die twice, seeing him alive a third time would be an understandable blow to the psyche. Still, it didn't help that he had always secretly envied how close Tohru was to his family in comparison.

Natsuno blinked and shifted his eyes toward the hallway. "I'll be right back," he said, standing up and heading down the hall. He'd thought he'd heard something, but didn't want to startle Aoi if it were simply a false alarm. Before he left, he let his eyes meet with Tohru's. The Shiki had heard it too. They didn't have to speak. Tohru simply nodded, understanding Natsuno wanted him to stay with Aoi for safety's sake.

Natsuno followed the sound to his bedroom at the end of the hall, where Toya should have been asleep. He slowly pushed the door open, just enough to peek in and see that the child was alright. He heard a tiny gasp and saw the covers move as she tried to pull them over her head to hide when she heard the door creak. Natsuno sighed and smiled, no sense in lurking in the doorway if she was awake. He pushed the door open and stepped inside the room. "Toya-Chan? Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

The Jinrou smiled as the blonde headed six-year-old popped her head back out from under the covers and looked up at him. "Oh, Natsuno-Ojisan, it's just you," she giggled.

Natsuno flicked on the light, him and her both shrinking back from it as their eyes attempted to adjust. He sat on the edge of the bed next to her. "What are you doing still awake?" he asked.

"I can't sleep," she pouted.

"Why?" Natsuno asked. He couldn't resist the urge to tease, "You're not afraid of monsters under the bed, are you?"

"Nuh-uh!" she insisted, shaking her head. "You and Tohru-Ojisan are both monsters! You'd beat up any mean old monster hiding under the bed."

Natsuno blinked at this unexpected, yet totally honest reply. He couldn't help but snicker. "I suppose you're right," he admitted, gently patting the top of her head. "So, then, why are you still awake? It's well past your bed time, isn't it?"

"I don't sleep very well by myself in new places, and Mama hasn't come to bed yet," she admitted.

"She'll be along shortly. But, I tell you what, until she's ready to come to sleep, I'll ask your Uncle Tohru if you can borrow one of the bears from his bed to keep you company, ok?" he offered.

Toya shook her head. "Why can't you just stay in here with me until she comes back?" she requested. Just as Natsuno had feared when he first set eyes on her, he had spoiled the girl rotten, and she had often voiced the fact that he and Tohru were her favorite uncles. "This is your room anyway, isn't it?"

Natsuno nodded. "It was, but I don't use it very often. I'm usually awake all night with your Uncle Tohru, then take short naps during the day while he's asleep. I suppose I could stay and read you a story until you fall asleep. But are you sure you wouldn't want a bear to snuggle with incase she doesn't come to bed before you fall asleep?"

"Ok, if he'll share," Toya nodded, "I saw how he was holding that one while he was asleep. Looked like he thought someone was going to take it."

Natsuno got up off the bed and walked toward the door, trying his best not to laugh at the child. "Alright, I'll ask him for you. I know the one you're talking about. That's his favorite, he might not give it up," he turned and winked at her, "But he's got some I'm sure he'll be willing to loan you. In the meantime, why don't you look over the books on that lower book shelf next to the window and pick out a story you'd like me to read?"

Toya nodded, "OK."

Natsuno rejoined Tohru and Aoi in the dining hall and slipped up behind them, he leaned over the seat, and wrapped his arms around the Shiki's shoulders. "You wouldn't happen to have a stuffed animal or two you're willing to part with for the night, would you?" he asked.

Tohru and Aoi both blinked, having caught the chuckle in his voice that he'd failed to stifle. Tohru gently caught Natsuno's arms in his hands and tilted his head up to look at the Jinrou. "Why…?" he asked curiously, slowly, holding it out for a second.

"Toya-Chan's having trouble sleeping. I promised her a story, but told her I'd try to convince you to part with one of your bears for the night."

"Oh, of course!" Aoi realized, slapping a hand against her head. "She said she couldn't sleep by herself in a new place?" Natsuno nodded an affirmative. Aoi shook her head. "She has a stuffed rabbit she carries everywhere, especially when spending the night somewhere. We didn't exactly have time to grab it before everything happened."

Tohru smiled and gave a soft chuckle. "She can have 'em all," he said. Natsuno blinked, surprised at the reply, until Tohru added a single stipulation. "As long as you two keep your hands off **_my_** snuggle bear."

That did it, all that work trying not to laugh at Toya, Tohru had pushed the final button. Natsuno actually started to laugh as he pulled away. "I told her you wouldn't part with that one."

"Natsuno, just how many bears are we talking here?" Aoi asked, knowing what her brother was like.

Natsuno regained his composure. "I bought him three our first year here, I've bought him a new one every year since, so that's a total of thirteen."

"So, enough to crowd someone out of the bed?" She smiled and laughed, "Toya-Chan would love that, I've lost count of how many times I've gone to get her up, only to find her buried under a pile of plushies."

"He has them all lined up on the bed, pushed against the wall. He keeps the first one, his favorite, at the head of the bed so he can reach it quickly when I'm not there."

Tohru blushed. "It looks like the one I had back in Sotoba. It really helped this place feel like home after he bought it for me. The fact that it was the first one he bought me just made it extra special."

Aoi shook her head and smiled. "Eleven years later, and you're still acting like a child," she giggled, kissing her brother's cheek, "Natsuno was right, you're still the brother I knew and loved." She looked up at Natsuno. "I guess you've got your hands full keeping up with him, too."

"Hey, I'm right here, you know?" Tohru grumbled.

"Sounds like Toya-Chan took a lot more from you than your name, Tohru-Chan," Natsuno chuckled, gently placing his hands on the Shiki's shoulders. "He is a handful sometimes, Aoi." He leaned down as Tohru looked up at him, and gave Tohru a gentle kiss on the lips. "But I wouldn't have him any other way."


	3. 3 - 'Girl Talk'

Note from Author: Ok, a couple cute/funny chapters, this is part of the "Another Way" series, after all. I don't want it to get too dark. We'll get back to the action soon, though. By the way, the way I've been writing Tohru and Natsuno in this one, after eleven years, I think they would finally be at about this level of comfortableness in their relationship, right?

_**Chapter 3: "Girl Talk"**_

The restaurant was full of customers the next night. Saturday was normally Tohru and Natsuno's busiest night of the week, and they felt confident enough that the crowds would deter any trouble from Aoi's pursuers. Aoi was giving Tohru a hand in the kitchen and with the customers. Seishin had begrudgingly left Sunako's side for the night to help with the Hibachi grill, warily leaving her in Toshio Ozaki's care. Natsuno had left Tohru in charge, trusting his judgment in the fullest, while he went to take care of some things. The everyday regulars recognized Aoi as a family member, while some of the once a month or so regulars began asking questions about the new face. Only a handful knew that Tohru and Natsuno were both vampires, and none of them had ever figured out the two of them weren't really brothers, so Aoi found herself having to explain to some of them that she was not Natsuno's girlfriend, just another family member who had dropped in to visit for a while.

Aoi leaned against the edge of the kitchen counter and watched in amazement as her brother handled the cooking and prepping of the food. Tohru's eyes shifted toward her and he blinked. "What?" he asked.

She shook her head. "When'd you learn to cook? You use to never know how to work anything more complicated than a microwave," she teased.

"Oh, come on, Aoi, don't tease me like that," Tohru sighed as he removed the lid from a large boiling pot in order to stir its contents, "Natsuno taught me. This is HIS kitchen, not mine. Every inch of interior design in this place, from the dining hall to the kitchen, and the living quarters was his handiwork, and every recipe on the menu is his as well. Our first few months, I was out front with the customers, since I'm a people person, only taking over to keep an eye on things he had to walk away from or fetching him ingredients when he needed them. But, he taught me how to prep and cook everything along the way, too, so that I could take care of things if he wasn't here."

"Where'd he learn all that?" Aoi asked, "I know he's got book smarts, but…?"

"His father ran the atelier, Sis. He learned it all from his parents," Tohru reminded her as he tended to the stir fry on the front burner. "He picked up woodworking and designing from Yuki-Sama and said that until they moved to Sotoba, his mother used to have him help her in the kitchen every night." Tohru picked up a bottle of the blood substitute drink and took a sip, closing his eyes as he did so. He shook his head and heaved a sigh as he sat the bottle back on the counter out of the way. "I wish he'd hurry back, this stuff is ok in a pinch or as a snack, but it just doesn't beat the real thing."

"So, does he stay in the kitchen, unless there's a problem out front?" Aoi asked.

"For the most part. This entire building is listed under Natsuno's name, so he has to show his face for public relations from time-to-time, otherwise, he only comes out if there's a problem. You know how he is with people; he hates crowds."

Aoi nodded, "Yeah, he always did come across as stand-offish and a bit of a bully in public." She smiled slyly, as she started the next line of questioning. "So, you two have been together for eleven years, listed as siblings. I'm guessing he took his father's stance on getting the government and religions involved in marriages, especially considering the nature of your relationship, so he used that excuse to get around the system. After eleven years, when's that bitch going to get you a ring?" She did her best not to laugh as her brother's face turned bright red.

"What, and fully ruin the illusion? It's more fun to keep 'em guessing," Tohru chuckled as he took the food from the stove and attempted to plate it. He blinked as his sister stifled a giggle and he finally realized what she was really aiming for. "Oooh, no…! NO! No, no, no, no, no. NO! This is not happening. I am not about to stand here in this kitchen and have 'girl talk' with my younger sister! I'm not doing it, Aoi."

"I should have known I couldn't coax you into it, not after all those times you refused to play dress up with me when we were kids because it wasn't 'manly enough', but I thought I'd at least try," she giggled.

"Aoi, you've already admitted that Natsuno was the first guy you and Kaori both ever crushed on, are you really sure you want to sit down and listen to you're older brother talk about what it's like with him?" Tohru asked, leaning against the counter.

"I suppose you have a point," she said, awkwardly glancing off to the side, setting an elbow on the counter and resting her cheek on her knuckles. She sighed, blinked, and shifted her eyes back toward her brother, "But at least answer me this, is he any good?"

Tohru blinked. "I will at least dignify that with a simple answer; 'GOOD' is an understatement." He smiled as he watched his sister blush as she took a step backwards, away from the counter. "Uh-huh, that's the reaction I expected. Let's put it this way, and leave it at this; I don't know what he would have been like when we were still human, but there's no mortal that could survive a night in bed with him now." Tohru cleared his throat and finished plating the dishes. "Here, these are ready to be taken out. Tables four, seven, and twelve."

Aoi nodded and started to pick up the tray. Tohru suddenly grabbed her arm. The two Mutou siblings looked at each other and blinked as they heard the wooden clank on the front door and the entire dinning hall fell silent. Tohru sighed, smiled, and nodded at his sister, as he released her arm. He recognized the sound of the footsteps and the scent in the air that only he and Seishin could detect. Slowly, the crowd in the dining room began to murmur and talk again. Seishin was still out front at the hibachi grill, had there been any threat, he would have been the first line of defense. "Oi, Tohru-Chan?" Natsuno called as he entered the hallway. Aoi heaved a sigh of relief hearing the Jinrou's voice.

"In here, babe," Tohru replied.

Natsuno entered the kitchen and found a counter that wasn't being used to sit his backpack on. "I got the stuff you asked for, Aoi," he informed her as he started unzipping the smaller zipper on the front of the bag. He decided to wait until after closing to tell her what her penthouse had looked like when he got there, he didn't want to distress her. "I grabbed you and Toya-Chan some changes of clothes, too. I think it might be best if you stay for a while longer. Good news, Tohru-Chan." Natsuno pulled out a stuffed rabbit, holding it by its ears, the same one Toya had been carrying the first time Aoi had entered the restaurant, "I think we can get your bears back in the morning. I brought Toya-Chan her lucky rabbit's foot." Aoi giggled as Tohru shrank back a little. It seemed ridiculous to be afraid of a child's toy at his age, but even if it was a stuffed animal, the fact that Toya carried it everywhere with her like she really believed it was a good luck charm had been enough to imbue it as such toward the Shiki. To Tohru and Sunako, that rabbit's right foot was no different than a bell.

"That's nice, can we get it out of the kitchen, please?" Tohru asked nervously.

Natsuno nodded. "I'll go put it in the bed room. She's probably asleep by now, I hope."

Aoi gave a quiet smile and carried the tray out to the dining hall to deliver the food. Still holding the rabbit by its ears, Natsuno slung it over his shoulder as if he were carrying a bag and carried it to the bedroom where Toya was sleeping. He quietly slipped into the room, the child was covered in stuffed bears, hugging tight to a chocolate colored one that was made to smell just like chocolate. Natsuno smiled and sat the rabbit on the night stand next to the bed, setting it so that it was facing her, where she could see it when she woke up. He then turned and left the room just as quietly as he had entered.

As soon as Natsuno returned to the kitchen, he found himself being pounced by the blonde Shiki. Tohru threw his arms around Natsuno's neck and wrapped his legs around the Jinrou's torso, their lips meeting for a kiss. Natsuno blushed but gently wrapped his arms around Tohru, returning the kiss. Tohru was the first to pull away. "You've been gone too long," he pouted.

"I was only gone for a few hours," Natsuno chuckled.

"Still too long," Tohru complained, "We close in another three hours, and smelling this food is driving me crazy. Do you know what it's like to have to smell stuff this good and not be able to taste test any of it?"

Natsuno laughed as he sat the Shiki back down on his own two feet. "Alright, I'm sorry I took so long." He gently rustled his hand through Tohru's hair. "Thanks for taking care of things while I was gone. I'll make it up to you by fixing you a special batch of teriyaki-style Kobe beef and some shrimp fried rice after we close, alright?"

"Really?" Tohru asked, almost excitedly, "Kobe?"

Natsuno chuckled as he went to wash his hands. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"An egg roll too, maybe?" Tohru requested.

Natsuno smiled. "Sure thing."

"Sorry to interrupt," Seishin's voice rang from the door. Natsuno and Tohru both looked up at him. "To be honest, I've heard more about the relationship between the two of you tonight than I ever cared to," the former monk commented, shifting his eyes toward Tohru, his Jinrou ears had heard every word of the conversation between the Mutou siblings. Natsuno glanced up at Tohru, who blushed as he realized such had been the case. "But, would you mind telling me how it is that Tohru-Kun is going to be able to digest this feast you're promising him?"

Natsuno sighed. "I guess I couldn't keep it hidden forever. I'll explain after closing. In the meantime, let's just say that if you're willing to donate a few pints of your blood to the cause, I'll fix some Miso or Egg Drop soup to send back to Sunako before you leave."


	4. 4 - Entranced

_**Chapter 4: Entranced**_

After closing, Natsuno set Aoi, Tohru, and Seishin to work cleaning up the Hibachi Grill and dining hall while he put away the dishes used for the customers and began working on the meal he promised Tohru. He made enough to go around; plenty for Tohru, Seishin, Aoi, Toya, Toshio, Sunako, and himself. Along with the promised dishes of teriyaki beef, egg rolls, shrimp fried rice, and Miso soup, he also prepared a dish of wantons and mochi cakes. He plated, boxed, and bagged Seishin and Toshio's shares of the food, then plated his own as well as Toya's, setting both in the refrigerator for later, Toya could have hers for lunch the next day. He then gave Aoi her share.

What was left was the portions for Tohru and Sunako. He set them aside on individual trays, grabbed two to-go soup cups and told Tohru and Seishin to follow him. This was the first time Seishin had been allowed into the building's living quarters. He followed the two eternally teenaged Okiagari to Tohru's room. He gave a quiet look of dismay when he saw Tohru's lighting display. He found it all rather childish.

"Tohru-Chan, we'll fix yours last, alright?" Natsuno stated as he set up the blender.

Tohru quietly nodded. The Shiki sat in the corner of the room, next to the trays of food, it was rare that Natsuno allowed him to watch this part of the preparations. He closed his eyes and took in the scent. "Natsuno, it smells amazing, as always," Tohru complimented.

"What exactly are we doing?" Seishin asked, adjusting his glasses.

The younger Jinrou seemed to ignore the elder as he added Sunako's food into the blender. He dropped in the deserts first-the wantons and mochi, followed by the rice and beef, topped with the egg rolls, then poured in the soup. He picked up the butcher's knife and gave it a quick twirl just to show off. "Your arm please, Muroi-Sama?" he requested, holding out his free hand.

Seishin raised an eyebrow, but held out his right arm. The former monk closed his eyes as the knife sliced into his wrist and down the vein of the arm, allowing his blood to pour into the blender. Aside from that and hiding his left arm behind his back, he gave no reactions or signs of discomfort. Natsuno held the knife in place to keep the cut open until the soup had turned red and the liquid inside the blender just barely passed over top of the egg rolls. Tohru remained quiet in the back, the smell of blood was in the air, but the Shiki seemed to give no reaction to it. Natsuno capped the blender and set it to frappe for five minutes, blending it until everything was liquefied. He poured it into one of the to-go soup cups and scribbled Sunako's name on it. "I'll put this in the bag with the food I'm sending for you and Ozaki-Sensei. Maybe some warm soup will help her get well quicker."

Seishin quietly watched his arm heal, then looked at Natsuno. "You really expect me to believe that she can eat that?" he asked.

Natsuno picked up the to-go cup and the knife and blender. "Trust me," he said as he walked out of the room. He returned a few moments later with the knife and blender both sterilized and scrubbed clean. "Alright, Tohru-Chan, I'm ready for yours." Tohru nodded. "Muroi-Sama, I may need your strength to hold him. There's a reason I rarely let him watch this part." Natsuno put Tohru's portions into the blender, the same way he had done for Sunako's, and took the knife to his left arm. He'd found it odd that Tohru hadn't reacted to the scent of blood as of yet. Holding his arm over the blender, he pushed the knife into the vein at the center of his wrist and cut downward a good six inches. Unlike Seishin, Natsuno gave a slight flinch as he closed his eyes. After all these years, Tohru's bite no longer caused him discomfort, but this still stung like hell. Natsuno blinked his eyes open and shifted them uncomfortably in the direction of the blonde Shiki. Just as he'd feared, Tohru had frozen in place, his eyes having turned their vampiric black and red rather than their beautifully human brown. The smell of Natsuno's blood had nearly put the Shiki into a trance like state, but this wasn't a calm, harmless trance. He was entranced by the smell, dangerously close to a hunger frenzy. "THIS is why I don't let him watch when I do this," he informed the former monk. "Just hang in there, Tohru!" Natsuno ordered, hoping his voice would be enough to reach the Shiki's inner conscience and hold him in place. Seishin quietly blinked in amazement as this actually seemed to work. Tohru had smelt the blood spill of not one, but two Jinrou and yet, even in this state, was resisting the insatiable hunger that even Sunako herself still had no control over after all her years as an Okiagari. Natsuno filled the blender as full as he needed it and quickly capped it and turned it on. Keeping the wound open, he moved past Seishin and quietly approached Tohru. "Tohru-Chan?" Natsuno called softly. Seishin stood on his guard, but watched quietly as the scene played out. Natsuno used every bit of caution approaching the Shiki that one would use in greeting a wounded stray animal. In this state, one wrong move by either of the Jinrou could be misinterpreted by the Shiki as a threat. Seishin had lost count of how many times Sunako had hissed and lunged at him over the years because she couldn't contain the hunger. Natsuno dropped the knife and gently wrapped his right arm around Tohru. He then moved his left arm just under Tohru's nose. "Here, Tohru-Chan. Quick, before it heals."

Seishin watched in amazement as Tohru caught hold of Natsuno's arm with both hands and licked the wound clean. The blonde Shiki closed his eyes and slowly trailed his tongue up the younger Jinrou's arm as the cut began to heal, until he reached the mouth of the wound, where he closed his lips around it as if he were kissing it. Tohru was calm and quiet as he drank from the bleeding vein. Tohru had taken in not only the smell of blood, but the scent of his Jinrou as well, no matter what chaos his own mind was in, no matter how ravenous the hunger that tried to over take him at that exact moment, the Shiki knew he was safe with Natsuno so close.

Seishin almost felt jealous as he watched them. He found it unfathomably amazing how these two had managed to overcome everything they had been through and still trust one another to such extent. Natsuno really was the one in full control of everything. Their bond was more than friends and lovers, more than master and vassal, it was something deeper, yet unexplainable. He couldn't help but wonder if he and Sunako would ever reach that stage, or if, in fact, he and Toshio would ever be that close again. When Tohru pulled away from Natsuno's arm and opened his eyes, they had returned to their normal brown luster.

Tohru looked up at Natsuno and blushed. Natsuno gently rubbed the top of his head. "Natsuno, I…" Tohru started. Natsuno shook his head and gave the Shiki a reassuring smile, letting him know everything was alright. Tohru sighed and smiled, glad to know he hadn't done anything he might have regretted.

Natsuno hugged him tight. "It's alright, Tohru-Chan," he whispered. "I know that wasn't enough to satisfy you, though. Don't worry, it's almost…" They heard a click from the blender as it came to a stop, "Ready."

Seishin stepped aside, allowing Natsuno an unobstructed path to the blender. Before he took this stuff home to his mistress, he wanted proof that Shiki could drink it without any adverse effects. Natsuno poured the contents of the blender into the to-go cup and handed it to Tohru. There was more food than usual within this mixture, so the cup Natsuno had originally bought with the blender wasn't big enough to hold it all. Natsuno handed the cup to Tohru, who flopped down on the bed before putting the cup to his lips. "Hey!" Natsuno growled, "Be careful not to get any of that on the sheets! It won't be easy to clean up."

Seishin's jaw dropped as Tohru drank the concoction down without so much as a single sign of trouble. "He really is able to handle it?" the former monk murmured in surprise.

Natsuno sat on the bed next to Tohru and wrapped an arm around him. "It's a proven method that we've been using for eleven years now. It holds what he needs from the blood, while giving him the nutrients, flavors, and texture that he'd become accustomed to as a human."

"It's more filling and taste much better than the stuff they expect us to pay for on the market, too," Tohru added as he pulled the now empty cup away from his mouth.

"Jeez, Tohru! The hell? After all the work I put into fixing that? What'd you do, drink it all in one gulp?" Natsuno exclaimed.

Tohru flopped over, letting his head rest on Natsuno's lap. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, smiling up at the Jinrou, "It was just that delicious." Tohru smiled and stifled a giggle as he watched Natsuno blush.

"How come you never shared this information before?" Seishin asked.

"Didn't care to," Natsuno answered bluntly. "Until that stuff hit the market and I found the two of you at my front door looking for a job, I had no interest in helping your mistress. I had welcomed you in, but was worried about what she was capable of or what she might try. I wasn't going to take any risks. But, I never expected her to look so… young. However, I have to admit she's grown on me since then."

"I see," Seishin replied flatly. He figured he could understand Natsuno's reasoning. "Well in that case, thank you for trusting me enough to share it with me now." He bowed to them. "I appreciate the food. Good night."

"Good night, thanks for all your help tonight," Natsuno and Tohru unanimously bade him.

Seishin gave a quiet smile and adjusted his glasses, trying not to laugh or shake his head. Their unison was uncanny, pure and unjaded, and down right annoying. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling of jealousy toward the bond between the two younger Okiagari. Though, he hoped for their sake nothing ever found its way between them. He returned to the kitchen to grab the bag of food he was to take with him and said his farewells to Aoi on his way out the door.

"Natsuno, can I ask you something?" Tohru asked, once they were alone, his head still resting in the Jinrou's lap.

Natsuno smiled and stroked a hand through Tohru's hair. "Why are you asking permission? Just ask," he replied.

"What happened at Aoi's house? There's got to be a reason you told her to stay a while longer," Tohru observed.

Natsuno sighed and turned his head away. "I didn't want to worry her while we had a full house out front. For Toya-Chan's sake, it would also be best not to let her panic, but when I got there, the place reeked of wolves, and looked as though it had been ransacked. I grabbed what I knew she wanted and what I knew they would both need. Apparently, your sister is on a first name basis with the local law enforcement, a cop saw me when I was leaving and asked me what business I had there."

"How much did you tell him?" Tohru asked warily, sitting up right.

"I'm not spreading your sister's dirty laundry around, Tohru," Natsuno answered, "If she wanted the cops involved, she would have told Toya to run to them, or gone herself by now. I told him I was her brother-in-law, that she was staying away from home for a few days and she had asked me to pick up some things she had forgotten. I didn't feel comfortable telling him anything more than that."

"You think they may have connections to the police?" Tohru asked.

"Think back to Sotoba, it's not entirely impossible," Natsuno answered.

"I guess you've got a point," Tohru nodded, "So I guess that means we're on babysitting duty until this all blows over."

Natsuno smirked. "No different than any other day around here," he teased.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?" Tohru objected. The Shiki blushed as the Jinrou turned his eyes toward him. "I'm three years older than you, remember?" Tohru's blush grew even brighter as Natsuno's lips met his. He closed his eyes and gave a soft moan.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're still adorably childish," Natsuno said as he pulled away from the kiss.

Tohru blushed even brighter, did _**Natsuno**_ really just call him adorable? That was a first. Never in the twelve and a half years that they'd known each other, would he have ever imagined that word existed within Natsuno's vocabulary. They smiled at each other and began to lean in for another kiss. This attempt was abruptly cut short, however as they heard a scream come from down the hallway.

"TOYA-CHAN!" they both exclaimed, jumping off the bed. Aoi nearly bumped into them as she darted into the hallway. All three of them reached the door at the same time. Natsuno signaled for Aoi to stay back, and for Tohru to stay close to his sister. If there was anything or anyone dangerous on the other side of that door, he wanted to keep everyone as safe as possible in the process of getting the girl out of there.


	5. 5 - Ears?

_**Chapter 5: Ears?**_

Warning the two Mutou siblings to be quiet, Natsuno pushed the door open and peeked in. The room appeared safe enough to enter. He flung the door open as he heard Toya give a soft whimper from inside. "Toya-Chan?" he called.

"Natsuno-Ojisan," the girl whined, pointing at the bedroom window, "T-the window!"

Aoi and both Okiagari gave a sigh of relief, from the looks of things, the six year old had merely stirred in her sleep, perhaps waking from a nightmare. Natsuno slowly walked to the window, Aoi ran to the bed to check on her daughter. Tohru's eyes had met with Toya's rabbit on the bedside table and he had to force himself to enter the room. "I don't see anything," Natsuno informed them as he looked through the window.

"It was probably just a nightmare," Aoi said hopefully.

"NO!" Toya insisted, shaking her head. "I saw someone at the window."

"Seishin just left, Toya-Chan," Tohru pointed out, "Maybe you saw him walk past?"

"Nuh-uh!" she shook her head, "I know what Muroi-Sama looks like. This person had ears and scary eyes!"

Natsuno and Tohru both started at this, turning their full attention to Toya. The child clearly was frightened. "Ears?" Natsuno repeated.

Toya nodded, "He had dog ears on the top of his head. He smiled at me, when I looked up at him. He had sharp fangs, like Tohru-Ojisan's."

"N-Natsuno, you don't think?" Tohru started.

"If it is, he's masking his scent, I can't smell him. Of all times for Sunako to be sick, she may have been the only one to contain him, if so," Natsuno growled.

"You two know this person?" Aoi asked.

"If it's who we think she's talking about," Tohru started.

"Tatsumi…" Natsuno growled.

"What? But Natsuno, you said he was in the pit with you when the dynamite blew up?" Aoi recalled.

"I made it out of there alive," Natsuno reminded her, "Tatsumi was Sunako's first Jinrou, she says she didn't sire him, but he was the first to join her, he's been one for much longer than I have. It wouldn't come as any surprise to me that he survived, but what I can't figure is why he would wait until now to show himself."

"He can't come in, can he?" Aoi asked, pulling Toya into her lap.

"Not unless someone invites him in," Tohru replied, "That's the one rule Jinrou and Shiki alike have to follow."

"The restaurant out front doesn't give him a loop hole?" Aoi asked.

"No, he can't enter anywhere with an attached living quarters without an invitation, and then he can only enter the place of business unless invited further inside," Natsuno explained.

"But Tatsumi's a Jinrou," Tohru added.

"Which means he doesn't need to sleep any more than I do," Natsuno said pulling the blinds shut. "Tohru, take the girls back to your room for the rest of the night," he ordered, remembering Tatsumi and Megumi's first attack on Tohru.

"What? Natsuno, it was a full house tonight, we've only got an hour and a half left until sunrise, what am I gonna' do then?" Tohru asked.

"Tohru!" Natsuno barked, turning his eyes toward the Shiki. Tohru flinched and frowned. It wasn't that Tohru objected to letting the girls sleep there, so much as it was the only room in the entire building without windows. Natsuno sighed and walked over to the blonde, rubbing a hand through the top of his head. "Trust me on this, alright?" he whispered, gently wrapping his arms around him, "It's not safe to have someone as impressionable as Toya-Chan sleeping near the windows if Tatsumi's out there. If he tries to hypnotize her, she wouldn't be able to resist. I'll set something up for you as a temporary haven, alright? It's just for now, starting tomorrow, we'll let the girls use the room at night, and then you can sleep there during the day while they're awake."

Tohru sighed and nodded, wrapping his arms around Natsuno. He knew the Jinrou would do everything within his power to keep them all safe. "Doesn't sound like you'll be getting a lot of sleep during all this, though. We'll work it out that way," he agreed, "But don't wear yourself out in the process, alright?"

Natsuno smiled and nodded, "You don't have to worry about me."

They moved the girls into Tohru's room, stuffed animals and all. Before Aoi tucked Toya in, Natsuno made sure to get Tohru's favorite bear off the bed. Unfortunately, the Shiki was already beginning to show signs of fatigue. Natsuno would have to work quick to set him up somewhere to sleep. Natsuno could take short naps off and on throughout the day and night and stay on his guard, but as soon as the sun came up, Tohru would be completely powerless to stay awake, and entirely vulnerable if Aoi's pursuers were to enter the house.

Tohru yawned and quietly watched Natsuno try to locate their spare blankets and pillows. Clinging tight to his bear, he offered a small suggestion. "Natsuno, you could just stuff me in the hall closet, you know. So long as the sunlight can't reach me, I'm like a cat, I can sleep anywhere. It'll be less work for you that way, and will allow you a chance to get some rest in your own room for a while."

"You'd really be ok with that, Tohru?" Natsuno asked. Tohru nodded. Natsuno sighed and nodded. "If you're certain you'll really be ok with that. Then I suppose it'll have to work." The hall closet was the biggest closet they had, double-doored and deep enough to walk into, it was on an inner wall so there were no windows or vents and Natsuno had been taking great care in the last eleven years to make sure there were no holes in the building's roof and ceiling, so there was no way the sunlight could reach through. Just as Tohru said, it was perfect. Natsuno laid down a thick quilt and a couple of pillows in the floor of the closet. Even if Tohru could sleep anywhere, Natsuno still wanted to make sure the timid Shiki was at least comfortable. "Does that suit you?" he asked as Tohru crawled into the closet.

Tohru yawned and nodded. "This will work just fine," he assured the Jinrou as he settled into the blanket. Natsuno closed the doors. It wasn't long before Tohru had fallen asleep.

Natsuno returned to his own room and peered back through the window. The first rays of morning light were sweeping across the horizon. There was very little to settle Natsuno's mind with the idea that they were dealing with Werewolves. The wolves were stronger at night than during the day, but just as the Jinrou, they were capable of mobilizing both day and night. They would be hindered by a stake to the heart, but it would take a lot more force than with a Vampire to kill them with one. The few holy relics that would deter them Natsuno couldn't keep on hand, due to Tohru's adversity to them, and there wasn't a single piece of silver in the entire house.

Natsuno sat on his bed, unable to sleep. Something didn't make sense to him. If Tatsumi was still alive, allying himself with these wolves wouldn't be such a shocking move. But why wait until now to show himself? The young Jinrou continued to mull it over in his head. Had Tatsumi, if it was indeed him that Toya saw, known that he and Tohru were still alive? Was he here for the Okiagari, or for the humans? Could it be possible that this whole thing with Aoi was just a ploy to sniff him and Tohru out?

"No," Natsuno grumbled, shaking his head, "That can't be the case. He would have to know we both made it out of Sotoba, but if he knew about us, I would think he would have learned about Sunako and Seishin and gone to them first."

Natsuno jerked as a sudden, unpleasant realization hit him. The younger Mutou siblings, Aoi and Tamotsu had been leverage for Tohru getting rid of Natsuno. Tohru was to get Natsuno out of the way, taking out the one person the Shiki saw as the biggest threat, or else his brother and sister would have become their next target. Tohru carried out this task the only way he was capable of, but only succeeded in turning Natsuno into a Jinrou. "DAMN IT ALL!" Natsuno scoffed, jumping off the bed and grabbing up the phone.


	6. 6 - Phone Calls

Note from Author: First off, let me start by saying I'm sorry I took so long on getting this chapter posted. I've been working on other fan fics: "Shiki Karneval", "Innocence Lost", and "Happy Birthday Yogi". This Chapter had already been written up to this point before I started Shiki Karneval, and unfortunately, I don't remember where I was going with it, so I guess I will just name it and post it and go into the next chapter. So, let me answer a couple of questions brought up by Makany. "Are these werewolf are and look the same as jinrous or the typical kind who you can find in some horror movies? Ive gotten more confused after reading this chapter." To answer this, should anyone else have been confused, Another Way has been in the TrueBlood universe ever since Part 2, so these are werewolves with a human form, a half-wolf form, and a full wolf form which they can take at any moment, but also have the normal "horror movie" beast wolf form, their strongest form, which they can only take on a full moon. They don't follow any of the rules that the Jinrou and Shiki do. I never understood the series' theory that a werewolf (Jinrou) could be sired by a vampire (Shiki), the Jinrou simply seem like Day Walkers. Though, should Muroi's book have anything to do with the lore on how Jinrou and Shiki were created, beyond Cain being the first Jinrou (which is already wrong) and Able the first Shiki, yet Cain had killed himself not his brother, then… I can see it where perhaps the Jinrou are half-vampire half-werewolf, caught somewhere in between the two clans and able to ally themselves with either one. Let me recall you back to Chapter 1, where one of the wolves states Natsuno isn't quite a Fang, but he does smell like one. The second thing that Makany commented on was the thought that it was weird to mix all those foods together and still say it taste good. While Natsuno would normally do one dish at a time, each separately for Tohru, he was doing several dishes at once for Tohru and Sunako both, so he had to mix them to save time. That said, Shiki do share their Jinrou brethren's heightened senses, so if you remember the scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, where Violet chews the gum and gets the full three-course meal, I imagined it's kind of something like that, they're capable of tasting and deciphering the flavors of each individual dish. To all my new favorites and follows for this story, I wish to thank you all, and again I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to this story. One last thing before I get started, nssix6 has asked permission to write a story set within the realm of Another Way, set shortly after Part 3 Chapter 2, so some characters may be appearing in later Chapters here. As soon as nssix6 is ready to post the first chapter to his story, I will be offering information on how to find it. Though, as he put it, it will be "an interception(not necessarily a crossover)."

_**Chapter 6: Phone Calls**_

Kaori sprang awake as she heard the phone ring. Rubbing her eyes, the brown haired woman glanced at the clock. "Who the hell is calling so early in the morning?" she grumbled. Her eyes shifted to the light-brown haired man sleeping next to her. If Mutou Tamotsu took after his brother in any regard, it was that he was not an easy person to wake first thing in the morning. Kaori grumbled as she climbed out of the bed. "Hello? Who is…" Her eyes widened when she heard the voice on the other end call her name. "Ah, Natsuno!?" That was all it took, Tamotsu's eyes were wide open and he sat upright in the bed.

Tamotsu frowned. He knew there was a part of both his wife and sister that had never fully given up on Natsuno, only distanced themselves for the sake of his happiness with Tohru. For a moment, when Kaori called Natsuno's name, Tamotsu thought he'd caught a glimpse of that part of her. He couldn't blame her, though, if not for Natsuno, she and her brother Akira would never have made it safely out of Sotoba. "It's not even seven yet, why's he calling so early?" Tamotsu yawned. He blinked and jumped out of the bed, as he realized that the sky was still dark enough at this hour, during this time of year that his older brother might still have some ability, though limited, to stay awake. "There's not something wrong with Tohru-Niisan, is there?"

Kaori's eyes shifted to Tamotsu and she quietly waved a hand to signal that she was trying to listen. "Huh?" she blinked, "Yes, Natsuno, we're all fine here. Are you and Tohru-Chan alright?"

She sighed and smiled, giving Tamotsu a reassuring nod. "Tohru's alright? That's good," Tamotsu said with a relieved sigh.

"Natsuno, what's going on?" Kaori asked. "Uh…! H-Hold on a moment, I'm going to give the phone to Tamotsu." She looked up at her husband worriedly.

"Kaori-Chan, what?" Tamotsu asked as he reached for the receiver.

"It's about Aoi-Chan and Toya-Chan," Kaori said, "Natsuno says we should take Natsumi and Akari and head to your parents' house for a few days."

"Natsuno, what's going on?" Tamotsu asked, "Are Aoi-Chan and Toya-Chan…?"

"Tamotsu, calm down for just a moment!" Natsuno barked. "The girls are fine, for now. I don't have enough time to tell you the details in full, and I'm sure Aoi-Chan would appreciate my discretion until she decides to fill you in, she's not even aware I'm calling you. Look, she's fallen into a bit of trouble and is staying with Tohru and me for a few days. We think a certain trouble maker from Sotoba may have caught up with us. He knows I helped Kaori and Akira back then, and he's made threats against you and Aoi before. We can't prove it's him, but if it is, I think he's tied in to what's going on with Aoi. I don't wish to alarm you, but I think it's safer for everyone if you relocate for a few days until this all blows over. It's possible the situation Aoi's in is because he was pulling some strings to find her. If he's already figured out where the rest of you are, you may be next. Better for you all to be in a group somewhere where you can keep an eye on each other. Just make sure not to let anyone else in. If at all possible, I'll send Aoi and Toya-Chan when it's safe enough to move them."

Tamotsu sighed and nodded, gripping tight onto the phone receiver. "I see, thank you, Natsuno. I'll start getting things ready to go and have Kaori call Akira. Do we need to inform your parents as well?" There was a dead silence on the other end of the phone. "Natsuno?"

"No, my ties with them have been severed for a long time now. I don't believe either of them should be in any danger," Natsuno answered flatly. "Just make sure the rest of you get to your parents' house safely."

Natsuno sighed as he hung up the phone. "Regardless of what Tatsumi knows about Tohru and me, or about Aoi in the others," he thought to himself, "It doesn't change the fact that he knew my mother had left that night Tohru turned me, and that my father wasn't in his right mind. Even with everything between them back to normal, they won't be in any danger." Natsuno stood quietly by the phone for a moment. "Damn it! So why does the mere fact that he even mentioned them worry me so bad? They have nothing to do with this. I'm a creature they never acknowledged the existence of to begin with!"

Natsuno scoffed, turned, and stormed out of the bedroom. He was suddenly disgusted with himself. Tohru's family was in danger, and he was going out of his way to help them, but the mere mention of his own parents suddenly made all that jealousy he'd always felt toward Tohru's close-nit family come creeping back. When was it exactly, that he and his parents had begun drifting apart? They never stopped caring, they just became distant. Had it started before they moved to Sotoba, or after? It had been so long he couldn't remember. Natsuno gave a disgruntled sigh and tucked his hands into his pants pockets. He quietly strolled over to the hall closet and peeked in, being careful not to open the door far enough to allow any sunlight from the parallel window to seep in. Tohru was fast asleep, his favorite stuffed bear was clung tight to his chest. Natsuno sighed and smiled. The mere sight of the blonde Shiki was always enough to cheer him up.

Tohru gave a soft sigh in his sleep. "Natsuno," he mumbled softly.

Natsuno flinched and fell breathless. In all these years, he couldn't recall Tohru ever calling his name while in his deep sleep. Was it possible the Shiki was aware the Jinrou was close, or was he actually capable of dreaming? As far as Natsuno could recall, the most Tohru had ever done in this state was catch hold of the Jinrou and pull him back onto the bed as he tried to leave, or snatch up his bear and roll into one position or another. It surprised him to hear the blonde actually speak.

Natsuno closed his eyes and sighed. "It's alright, Tohru-Chan," he said quietly. "Sleep well," he said with a smile as he closed the door.

The Jinrou placed a hand over his heart. Feelings he would have never acknowledged when he was human were so much harder to put aside now. Natsuno sighed. He had to find some way to clear his head so he could focus on a plan. He returned to the kitchen and pulled his tray of food out of the refrigerator, taking it into the dining hall, he plopped down in the booth closest to the kitchen. He wasn't exactly hungry, but there was no way he could force his nose into a book at the moment. This would have to do. It wasn't like he had to worry about gaining weight if he ate when he wasn't hungry.

Natsuno took one bite of the teriyaki beef and instantly felt better. "Nothing like a home-cooked meal to act as a pallet cleanser," he mused to himself. He turned his eyes upward toward the restaurant windows. The closed sign was on the door, Tohru, Aoi, and Toya were all still fast asleep, it was Sunday and the streets were crowded with the people who were off work. At least for today, Natsuno could enjoy a moment of solitude without worry. A commotion would be too conspicuous with all the people passing by. This gave the purple haired Okiagari time to think.

He was convinced now; he survived the dynamite, why couldn't Tatsumi? But how would Tatsumi have known about the two Okiagari? The other two Mutou siblings, however, Tatsumi could have been biding his time, looking for their location, to carry out his promised threats upon them. If Aoi had never set foot inside the restaurant a year ago, there's no telling what would have happened to her and Toya.

Natsuno had had very few run-ins with Tatsumi back in Sotoba, all of them had been unpleasant. Tohru had been so frightened of the green haired Jinrou that an encounter with him even now might cause the timid blonde to become a shivering bundle of nerves. If it was indeed Tatsumi, he would be a difficult foe. There was no promise the old dog hadn't been drinking human blood. There were rules and laws set in place involving Vampires and blood drinking now that they were 'out of the coffin' and drinking the blood supplements. If Natsuno were still human, Tohru would actually be breaking those laws by feeding from him everyday. The fact that Natsuno was a Jinrou actually gave them a loophole. But as a Jinrou, that meant that Natsuno, Tatsumi, Seishin, and Toshio all could feed from any source. Human food agreed with them; but blood, be it human, animal, or even Shiki heightened their senses and made them stronger. Tatsumi could be breaking the laws and feeding from humans, or if he really had allied with the wolves, he could have been drinking from them.

"This waiting around is going to drive me crazy," Natsuno mumbled, looking back out the window, "If it IS him, he needs to make a move so I can kick his ass and get this over with."

The next few days passed by quietly, almost too quietly. With Natsuno and Tohru both on alert, perhaps the wolves had given up, or were simply waiting for the two Okiagari to lower their guard. Natsuno eventually gave in, after three days of silence, he couldn't allow Tamotsu and Akira to keep their children out of school for much longer. The family's safety was important, but their absences wouldn't be easy to explain, either. He called Tohru's parents. Mutou-San was very pleasant as she spoke with Natsuno over the phone. She thanked him for taking the family into consideration, and for watching over Tohru and Aoi and Toya. "I'm just looking out for the people who are most important to me, Mutou-San," Natsuno answered. Natsuno could feel the blush on his face, it surprised him to hear himself say these words to anyone but Tohru. "I just wanted the others to know they can go back home, but to stay on their guard. I'm sorry I got everyone so worried in the first place. Aoi and Toya-Chan will be staying with us for as long as needed."

"Once all of this has blown over, you boys need to come visit us, Natsuno," Tohru's mother offered.

"We will, Mutou-San, we will," Natsuno promised her.

Natsuno hung up the phone and leaned back in the seat of the booth. It had been five days now since this whole mess had started, and nothing had happened beyond the chase. Aoi's apartment hung heavy with the scent of the werewolves who had trashed it. He thought sure they would have followed her scent, or even his to locate her by now. "What are they waiting for?" he wondered aloud.

"Natsuno-Ojisan?" Toya called out, popping her head into the dining hall.

Natsuno looked up. "Toya-Chan, what's up?" he asked as the six year old blonde pounced her way into his lap, dragging her stuffed rabbit with her.

"I'm hungry, can you fix me something?" she asked.

Natsuno smiled at her. "What would you like me to fix?"

"Tempura sweet potato?" she chirped.

"That's all?" Natsuno asked.

"PLEASE?" Toya asked, as innocently and cutely as she could possibly make herself sound. Just like her Uncle Tohru, she gave him those big sad puppy eyes that she knew he'd have trouble refusing.

"Now that's just not fair!" he thought with a sigh. He smiled and patted the top of her head. "Alright, Toya-Chan. I think I can fix that for you."


	7. 7 - Trouble At The Moon Bound Café

Note from Author: You know, something I've come to realize that nobody's ever asked me about is Tohru's eyes. Maybe I've made this one rather obvious. Throughout the story, I've been pointing out that by drinking Natsuno's blood, Tohru's body is starting to act as though he's alive again, since instead of human blood he's drinking Jinrou blood, it's just a bonus effect. After a year of drinking it, Tohru's eyes had returned to the same shade of brown they had been when he was human, now only becoming black with the red lights when his Vampiric side tries to take over. It's been eleven years now, and Tohru and Natsuno have a small psychic bond between them. Tohru's body temperature is also back to what it had been when he was human. Unfortunately(?) there's still no way to start his heart beating again or turn him back human. Something else I've come to realize; I've never described Natsuno and Tohru's work clothes for when they open the restaurant, and I've never bothered to name it, or the three girls that were all over Natsuno, either. I'll have to work on that. Also, I'm giving the first hints toward nssix6's story in these next few chapters.

_**Chapter 7: Trouble At The Moon Bound Café**_

Natsuno entered the kitchen, Toya quietly following behind him, arms wrapped tight around her rabbit. The Jinrou began to dig out all his necessary ingredients for making the child's requested Tempura Sweet Potatoes. She watched quietly as he cleaned, chopped, and started coating the potatoes. He smiled, reached over and patted the top of her head. "Why are you watching me so intently, Toya-Chan?" he chuckled.

"Natsuno-Ojisan, can I help?" she chirped.

Natsuno smiled. "Alright, hold on a minute." He went and found her a stepstool. "Here, let's put 'Lucky' on a counter out of the way, so he won't get dirty, and then wash your hands, alright?" Toya nodded as Natsuno sat her rabbit to the side and helped her wash her hands. The oil was already on the stove to heat, so he let Toya help put the tempura batter on the potatoes.

"Why are you making so many?" she asked. "Momma doesn't eat them, you know."

Natsuno nodded. "I know. But I do, and your Uncle Tohru might like some when he gets up."

"How can he have them?" she asked.

"I have a special way of fixing them for him," the Jinrou winked at her.

Once the sweet potatoes were ready, he and Toya took their share, and her rabbit, and went back out to the dinning hall. Taking the back booth, they sat down and split the dish between themselves. When they were through, Toya even helped clear up the plates.

To prevent herself from going stir crazy, Aoi insisted on going grocery shopping. She even went so far as waving her cell phone in front of Natsuno's face to assure him she had a way of contacting him if anything went wrong. This left Natsuno stuck babysitting until either she got back, or Tohru woke up to keep an eye on the girl.

When Tohru woke up, he noticed the place seemed rather quiet. He slipped out into the hall and went down toward Natsuno's room. He could hear the television. He smiled when he cracked open the door. Natsuno was leaned against the wall at the head of the bed, having dozed off. Toya had also fallen asleep watching cartoons and was snuggled up to the Jinrou. Tohru gave a soft chuckle and turned off the TV. "Natsuno?" he whispered, giving his Jinrou a gentle shake.

Natsuno blinked his eyes open. He smiled at the Shiki. "Sorry, guess I fell asleep, didn't I?"

"You're not the only one," Tohru quietly chuckled, pointing to the sleeping six year old. "I never thought you'd be so good with kids, ya' know."

"Neither did I," Natsuno admitted.

"Where's Aoi-Chan?" Tohru asked, settling in on the bed next to him.

"She insisted on going shopping," Natsuno growled. "I tried to talk her out of it, but well, stubborn runs in your family."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black," Tohru laughed. "So, how long has she been gone?"

"What time is it?"

"The sun just went down, I guess seven or eight?"

"About four or five hours now, then. She has her phone if anything happens."

"I'm going to call and check on her, then."

"I'm so tired of just waiting around and doing nothing," Natsuno grumbled, as he joined Tohru in the hall. "Whoever this is, I wish they'd make a move, rather than leaving us sitting like a bunch of lab rats in a maze."

"Aoi-Chan says she's on her way back, now," Tohru said as he hung up the cordless phone. "… I have noticed you're a bit more apprehensive than usual these last couple of days. Having them here isn't too much for you to handle is it?"

"Of course not. Aoi-Chan and Toya-Chan aren't the problem at all," Natsuno assured him. Although, in truth, he was starting to miss his free time with Tohru. There were certain things he wouldn't dare do with Aoi and Toya in the house.

Once again, the night passed uneventfully. Now, Natsuno was really getting irritated with these wolves. What were they waiting for? He sat down with Aoi the next day. It had been nearly a week, now. He wasn't going to throw them out, he wanted to know for certain that the threat was gone before he sent her home, but something simply told him that wasn't the case. So they agreed he'd go back to her place and see if it looked as though anyone had been snooping again since the last time he was there. He was thinking maybe he could force them to make a move if he left for a couple of hours.

When Natsuno reached Aoi's penthouse, it was in an even bigger mess than he remembered it being the last time. "I didn't think it was possible for this place to become a bigger mess," he sighed, taking note that even her kitchen and Toya's bedroom had been picked through this time around. He had wanted to clean the place up before the girls returned home the last time he was here, but that would leave an obvious sign someone had been in the house, should the wolves return. "Seems they've been here pretty recently, too," he grumbled waving a hand in front of his face as he passed by the hall bathroom. "Geeze, what'd they do, bathe in here? This place is rank with the smell of wet fur." He froze and began to listen. He could have sworn he heard someone in the back bedroom. "They're using this place as a base until she returns?" he thought. He cautiously made his way toward the bedroom. If someone was there, he could get some answers, or a fight. At this point, the Jinrou would welcome either one.

**_*~Meanwhile~*_**

Aoi and Tohru were on their own for the night, at least until Natsuno got back. The restaurant was full of customers, several regulars. Minami and his group were there, as were the three girls that always came to ogle Natsuno. After ten years of these girls, Tohru finally learned their names; Minako the brown headed girl, Risa, the black headed one, and his least favorite, or rather his favorite of the three, the one who first started him down the path of teasing the girls every time they came in, Rana, the red head.

"What's with those girls, Tohru-Niisan?" Aoi asked, noticing the look he gave them as they sat down. "You always seem a little on edge when they come in."

Tohru chuckled. "It's nothing, they're just a group of girls who come in to admire Natsuno. I find a new way to tease them every time they come in. I think I'll let you wait on them tonight. By the way, I guess I never stopped to tell you this, Sis, but our uniform looks pretty good on you."

Natsuno had never bothered with the idea of a uniform, outside of an apron for the two of them in the kitchen, at least, not until Seishin, Sunako, and Toshio had started helping them. First off, he didn't expect to be around for more than nine years, to have to change uniforms as well as restaurant names every few years would only prove a hassle, but with more employees and no need to move, he realized he needed to do something to make things a little more presentable. When the uniforms first arrived, both Shiki initially voiced their objections to the idea of wearing them, until they actually put them on. Natsuno was head kitchen staff, his was something of a butler's uniform, black slacks and vest with a white button up underneath, his name on the left breast pocket, and a white full-body apron with the restaurant's name. Toshio and Seishin were given something a little less dressy, but still quite attractive, rather than black, their suits were gray, no vests, just the pants and shirts with sleeves that stopped at their elbows, and a small white hat on their heads with the restaurant name. Aoi was wearing a similar uniform to what Sunako would be wearing, a white button up shirt with short sleeves, stopping well above her elbows, and a black skirt that reached to her knees. Hers was a bit tighter and less frilly than Sunako's, as Natsuno had ordered Sunako's specifically to her style. The restaurant's name was printed on the left breast pocket of the shirt and on the bottom of the skirt, in about the same place it would be found if it had been a poodle skirt. Tohru's was a similar outfit to Natsuno's, as he worked both with the customers and in the kitchen, only his outfit didn't have the vest, and his apron, much like the girls' was only a short one tied around the waist. Sunako had fallen in love with hers instantly, Tohru adored the way Natsuno looked in his, Toshio complained he and Seishin looked ridiculous. Everyone had fallen in love with Tohru in his, however; Okiagari and humans alike.

Aoi blushed. "You think so?" she asked, looking herself over. "I never bothered to pay attention to how it looked. Thank you." She looked down and read the name of the restaurant, "Hey, Tohru? I've been meaning to ask about the name. Moon Bound Café just seems a bit too romantic for Natsuno's taste, did you come up with it?"

Tohru smiled. "That's right," he nodded with a chuckle. "Natsuno wanted to do a nighttime restaurant, so that it would be convenient for me, rather than sending me out hunting for a night job somewhere, it would be something we could do together. He'd put so much work into planning everything else, though, that he never even thought about giving the place a name until he had to sign the paperwork to get our license to open. There aren't many café style restaurants that open after night fall and stay open until just a few spry hours before dawn, you know. So, he asked me what I would call it. Given all the circumstances, I went with what I felt was the most appropriate name, Moon Bound Café," he explained. Aoi smiled and nodded. She had suspected as much, the moment she first walked through the door a year ago to find the brother she'd thought long lost standing there as the waiter.

Suddenly, the door clinked open. Tohru looked past his sister at the person who just entered the room. Something about this guy felt wrong. "Who is that?" Aoi asked, almost sounding as if she even felt something wasn't right.

"Never seen him before," Tohru answered. He glanced around, he wasn't the only one who knew something was off about this guy, most of the regulars had looked up. "He's not an Okiagari, he never would have made it over the threshold without an invitation. He's not a wolf or hunter either," the Shiki thought, "… A ghoul or thrall perhaps? But if so, who's?"

"Tohru, I don't like the look of him at all," Aoi whispered worriedly.

"I'll take care of him, Sis," Tohru said, "Stay put." Aoi nodded quietly. "Excuse me, Sir?" Tohru approached the guy, with a smile, trying to act normal. "Hello," he bowed, "Welcome to Moon Bound Café, is this your first time visiting us?"

"Cut the crap," the guy answered.

"Eh…? Excuse me?" Tohru blinked at him.

"I'm here to talk to her," the guy nodded toward Aoi.

"I'm afraid she's a little busy at the moment, Sir," Tohru stated curiously.

There was a scream from one of the tables. Female. Most likely Rana, and a murmur from the rest of the diners, as the man drew something out of his pocket and pointed it at Tohru. "I said I'm here for her, now step out of the way," the man replied.

Tohru blinked at the man, as if he were stupid, then gave a grin and chuckle, forcing his eyes closed and rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to put that away or leave. My sister's busy, you're disturbing my customers…" He brushed a strand of golden hair out of his face and slowly opened his eyes. Tohru opened his eyes, most of these people were all regulars, it wasn't like he had to hide anything. His eyes were no longer brown when he opened them, but black, with the red lights glowing in his irises. "A~hn~d it's going to take a L~O~T more than a gun to scare me," he laughed. The customers all slowly began to huddle closer to whoever they had been sitting with at the time. Sure they knew what he was, but he'd never shown this side of himself before.

The man laughed and cocked the gun as he reached into his coat to pull something else out. "I was told there'd be Vampires," he said. Tohru flinched as he took in the sight of what the man held in his hand. It was a stake, but not just any stake, it was shaped like a cross at the top. "They also said you were the weakest and most cowardly of the five, and that you would be the only one here tonight. Hand over the girl and her daughter and there won't be any further trouble."

"Y-You were 'told'? W-Who sent you!" Tohru demanded, taking a step backwards and trying to advert his eyes from the cross. He blinked and his eyes were once again normal, but he was doing his best to hide the fear in them over the weapon held in the man's hand. "Y-You do realize you've got a room full of witnesses, right?"

The man gave a chortle, when he noticed the Shiki's aversion. "It won't matter, by the time the cops get here, I'll be long gone, and you'll be laid to rest." The man came at Tohru with the cross, realizing that even though frightened, the blonde had no intentions of getting out of the way.

Tohru panicked. He managed to move aside as quickly as possible, avoiding the tip of the cross-like stake, catching the man's wrist in his hand. Without thinking of what he was doing, he leaned in and bit the man on the neck. As his fangs pierced the man's flesh, the first thought that ran through his head was to hypnotize the man into telling everything, then send him to turn himself in to the cops, but this would only work if another Vampire hadn't bit him first. "Tohru-Niisan!" Aoi exclaimed, feeling extremely thankful that Toya was watching cartoons in Natsuno's bedroom away from all the noise, with the window blinds shut.

Tohru's eyes widened with realization as the first hint of blood entered his mouth. He dropped the man and slumped to his knees, holding his stomach. He quickly snatched an empty cup off of one of the tables and spat the blood out with a cough. "What the hell…?" he gagged.

"Tohru?" Aoi ran to her brother's side, worriedly. There was a clank as the door swung open and shut, the man having decided to run after being bitten.


End file.
